


Full Bloom

by Millita



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora has anxiety, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Eventual Smut, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26081107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millita/pseuds/Millita
Summary: Former tattooist and current florist Adora is new to the sleepy college town of Etheria and she couldn't be happier to get away from her drama ridden past life. Unfortunately for her, a very mischievous tattooist with a knack for trouble has just taken a liking to her.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Netossa (She-Ra), Catra/Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 104





	1. New In Town

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this idea has been in my head for months so here i am: finally writing it.

Adora refreshed her Instagram feed for the tenth time in five minutes. She just couldn’t relax. It had been two months already, so she should be settled in. And she was for the most part, just last week she arranged a gorgeous flower arrangement for a couple: pink roses, lavender daisies and spray roses. Glimmer had called it predictable but Adora was still proud of it and the customer was happy too. _Or maybe they were just saying that…_

Adora nervously looked over at her coworker Glimmer. The girl was watering a collection of pink hydrangeas, humming to herself as she examined the flowers. Glimmer moved from the pink hydrangeas to the purple ones, skillfully tilting her watering can without spilling a drop. Adora found herself staring at Glimmer’s back tattoo, a tiny pair of cute pink wings. The ink was still vibrant on her olive skin and Adora could tell she spent a lot of money to get it done. Adora’s eyes scanned down, admiring the butterfly tattoos proudly displayed on Glimmer’s arm. The three colorful butterflies heading upwards were a little faded now.

“Fuck,” Glimmer suddenly interjected.

Across the room Bow’s head popped up. “Glimmer, language!”

She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath before failing her arms. “The blue hydrangeas are dying!”

Now it was Bow’s turn to swear. “Shit, shit, shit, shit.” He repeated rushing over to her. The two frantically examined the flowers, bickering with each other.

Adora twiddled her thumbs. She had never worked with anyone like Glimmer or Bow before. The two were an energetic duo. On the upside they were both professional, well read, and charismatic. On the downside they were also a unit of utter chaos when together. Still, Adora had to admit they were absolutely gorgeous. Aside from Glimmer’s tattoos, everything about her was sparkly and high class. The girl had gorgeous skin smooth as glass. Her vibrant pink hair lay comfortably on her shoulders, always adorned with a tiara hair clip. Even her makeup was royal and glittery. Her lips were always glossed, and her eyelashes were feminine and long. She wore a natural pink blush on her cheeks and spread across her face was a collection of tiny freckles.

Glimmer’s best friend Bow had an enchanting soft aesthetic as well. He was taller than Glimmer, being about 6’. His shoulders were broad, but he had a kind, nonthreatening aura to him. His 4c hair was kept in a clean shape up and his brown skin was flawless like Glimmer’s. In his left ear was a dangle red heart earring. Glimmer wore a matching one in her right. They both had deep brown eyes and held gazes intensely. The two were practically a match made in heaven. Adora felt left out. She found herself aimlessly scanning Bow’s body, looking for any kind of tattoo. There were none. _Oh, right. He doesn’t like needles._

“Adora, what are you doing?” Glimmer called out. The two were staring at her now. Both parties had their hands folded neatly over their teal aprons.

“Uh…” Adora cleared her throat. “Just vibing?”

“Adora,” Bow let out a disappointed sigh.

Adora made a mental note that _“just vibing” was not the right answer._

“You’re supposed to be working. There’s more than enough sales work for your to do.”

Adora nodded, scooting her chair over to the desktop. She hated being behind the desk. She always hated being stuck behind a desk. She logged into the company’s computer, taking one last look at Glimmer and Bow. The two were obviously talking about her, each with a look of genuine concern on their face. _They look perfect._ Adora thought to herself. Glimmer’s purple dress was just barely visible under her apron, and Bow’s blue V-neck and floral pants made him look like a model. The sun seemed to hit them perfectly too. In front of the hydrangeas they looked like monarchs. Meanwhile, behind the desk Adora looked like a lowly peasant running on three hours of sleep. She redirected her attention to the computer. _Only the latter of those is actually true._

She tapped away, checking flower stock and delivery dates. It was actually depressing how much business stuff there was to do. Not to mention she always got stuck doing it. She had first started working at Plumeria two months ago. She was new to the sleepy college town of Etheria and desperately looking for a job. She would have never considered the floral industry but after butchering her barista job she was desperate. The CEO of Plumeria, Perfuma was hiring and Adora applied. Much to her surprise she got the job. She’s been sitting at the front desk or lingering in the front of the store ever since. Occasionally she crafted her own bouquets, but that was usually reserved for more experienced employees. Her green thumb didn’t come naturally either and she often found herself spilling soil or over-watering plants. Hence, she was usually tasked with desk duty.

“Any news?” Bow asked. He was on the other side of the store now, re-potting plants Adora couldn’t identify.

Adora shook her head, still scrolling away. “Delivery is still on for Monday and,” she scrolled. “Oh! The wedding party from a few weeks ago sent a thank you email and left a really good review.”

“Yes!” Glimmer exclaimed, jumping in place.

“I’m so glad that’s over. God, it was such a pain!” Bow added, overlapping her outburst.

“Right!? We didn’t have time for anything!”

“Hell, I barely had time for class!”

“But you still went right?” Glimmer squinted.

Bow laughed sheepishly.

Adora felt left out. “Y-yeah it was such a mess. I never got to go to The Horde’s opening.”

Glimmer and Bow blinked at her.

“T-the tattoo place next door…” Adora explained gingerly.

Bow and Glimmer let out a mutual “Ohhhh”.

“I don’t think you missed out on anything, Adora. Those guys aren’t anything special.” Glimmer said, narrowing her eyes.

“Glimmer. You don’t even _know_ them.” Bow said, reprimanding her.

“How do you know that? Maybe I do!”

“Do you know them, Glimmer?” Adora asked sincerely.

“W-well,” The shorter girl’s face flushed red. “One of them just bumped into me. She was really rude!”

“Maybe she was just having a bad day.” Adora replied.

“Looked like she was in a good mood and just being a bitch to me.”

“Glimmer!” Bow shrieked, his voice nearly cracking. “Watch your language.”

Glimmer only stuck out her tongue in response. She sprayed a few more flowers and the three worked in silence for a few minutes. Adora and Bow could tell something was bothering Glimmer. Neither one of them said anything. Instead, the two just exchanged uncomfortable looks. Glimmer pretended not to notice. Abruptly the bells above the front door chimed. Perfuma entered. She was beautiful and princess-like. Perfuma’s golden curls were beautifully curled, laying comfortably just below her shoulders. Her chestnut brown skin was adorned with natural makeup. She wore a flowing pink sundress and wedge sandals which made her even taller. Today half of her hair was held up by a rose gold scrunchie. Adora was in awe. How was every Plumeria employee so perfect?

“Good morning, everyone!” Perfuma chimed, entering the shop’s main teal door.

“Good morning!” Adora called back instantaneously, earning a small chuckle from Glimmer.

“Relax,” The shorter girl mouthed before greeting their boss, “Hiya!”

“Oh no, some of the hydrangeas are struggling.” Perfuma said, rushing ahead to examine them.

Glimmer and Bow began to explain to her. Adora tuned it out. Perfuma looked like a flower goddess, moving through the shop with ease. Glimmer and Bow followed her around the room. Technically, Perfuma was all of their bosses but the three of them were friends. Their conversations were casual and only occasionally spiraled off into business talk. Adora had a strong desire to befriend them all, but she didn’t know how to. She lingered at the front desk not doing anything in particular. Months before this, there was only one other person she had worked with. It was just her and her boss. Although, he was definitely far more intimidating than any of the delicate royals in front of her.

“Adora?” Perfuma called out gently.

Adora looked up to find her boss standing at the counter accompanied by Bow and Glimmer. Adora shifted in her seat and faced all of them. She felt uncomfortable with their eyes on her. She focused instead on the “Plumeria Florist” text written in pink cursive letters on Glimmer’s apron.

“Adora are you okay? Glimmer and Bow say that you’ve been out of it today.” Perfuma put her hands together, a worried expression on her face.

“I’m fine, I just-” Adora started.

“I know it was your first time doing such a huge event with the wedding. Making all those calls and handling deliveries. You can tell us if you need time to recover, I know I did my first tim-.” Perfuma’s attentive monologue was quickly cut off.

“And I know Etheria can be like suuuper depressing if you’re new to it. So, you can always hang out with Bow and I if you’re homesick. Or if you’re not…even if you just wanna hang out.” Glimmer chimed in, equally attentive. She was obviously trying her hardest to make Adora feel welcome.

“Or I know! If you’re feeling down and bored of being in here all day, we can go meet the neighbors!” Bow beamed.

Adora was overwhelmed. She was in no way used to people fawning over her. Still, she deeply appreciated the sentiment.

“It’s okay, guys. Really, I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

She started to explain but the subject had already changed.

“Neighbors? What neighbors?” Perfuma asked. “Oh!” Her eyes flashed before anyone could reply.

“The tattoo artists next door. Oh gosh, we were supposed to meet them!” She was pacing back and forth. “We got so distracted with that demanding groom and his cute bride! Oh, and all the flowers they wanted. Oh goodness, they must think we’re so rude!”

“Perfuma-.” Bow started.

Perfuma didn’t hear him. She reached over the desk and clasped Adora’s hands. Her dark eyes were sparkling and Adora found herself lost in them for a second.

“You can go over and introduce yourself tomorrow!”

“Me?” Adora stuttered. She hadn’t been in a tattoo parlor in months. Not since she moved…not since she stopped doing tattoos for The Fright Zone. She had planned to go visit The Horde on her own time, but now the idea was scary.

“Yes you! You used to work for that sort of place, right? You’d fit right in! They’re going to love you!”

Adora was preparing to protest but Perfuma had already moved on to the next topic. The girl had drifted away to the back of the shop. Bow followed suit, the two discussing a recent shipment. Glimmer didn’t move. She leaned on the desk and let her eyes linger on Adora. At least her eyes are on Adora at first. Within a matter of seconds, the girl is simply looking past her.

“I always forget that you used to be a tattooist.”

Adora doesn’t know how to respond. Glimmer shifts her gaze, looking down at the assortment of jewelry on her hands. She examines her nails, turning her hands to play aimlessly with her fingers.

“You don’t seem that type. I mean,” Glimmer paused. “I don’t want to sound all stereotypical or anything. But those guys are nothing but trouble.”

“Tattoo artists?”

“The Horde,” Glimmer corrected. “They haven’t been next door for long but, I just get this bad vibe about them.”

Glimmer paused again. Her gaze went back to Adora. Adora fidgeted, sitting up straight. Glimmer wore a conflicted expression. She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips uncomfortably. Adora returned the girl’s stare, trying to look as understanding as she could.

“I think of you as a friend Adora. So,” Glimmer took a deep breath. “I’d be worried if they really did like you.”

Adora simply swallows, looking dumbfounded. She exchanges one final look with Glimmer. The shorter girl’s intensity is overwhelming and Adora breaks her gaze. Glimmer’s taps her pink acrylics on the desk and runs them through her hair. Once her bangs are out of her face, she returns to her normal charming expression.

“Sorry, was that weird?” The sudden return to her cheery tone sends a chill down Adora’s spine.

“Not at all.” Adora lied through her teeth.

Glimmer smiled and disappeared into the backroom. Adora sat quietly alone at the front desk. She ran her fingers through her hair, a habit she picked up from Glimmer. _“I’d be worried if they really did like you.”_ Glimmer’s voice replays over and over in her head. But Glimmer doesn’t know any of them, right?

Adora leaned back into her chair, thoughtlessly reaching for her phone. She refreshed her Instagram feed again. She couldn't explain it but for some reason her blood is boiling.


	2. You're The Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora was finally feeling confident. She had been in Etheria for two months and she was well settled. Sure, she had nightmares sometimes and felt awkward at work. Still, she was here, and she was doing fine. She was successful in creating a new life for herself. The person she used to be was just a stranger’s shadow now. Or so she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah fuck, here we go again.

The building that The Horde moved into used to be unnoticeable. It was a plain, boring beige building with tinted windows and a small collection of potted flowers out front. Ferns and daisies. Adora remembered when she first visited the shop with Glimmer. It was a small cafe at the time, known for serving a variety of tiny food and bubbly beverages. Adora couldn’t remember the name but it didn’t matter since the cafe closed soon thereafter. Apparently, they only had a handful of customers, according to the resident barista. Now the beige building had a different look completely. The Horde was displayed in moody black text above the building and the modest wooden entrance had been replaced with a fiery red door. As for the ferns and daisies, they were left untouched. The flowers sat comfortable on both sides of the door. They were clearly well attended.

Plumeria’s staff had unanimously decided on referring to the tattoo parlor as the next-door neighbors but there was actually another store between them. A tiny metaphysical shop named Mystacor, ran by Glimmer’s aunt, Castaspella. The store proudly displayed a variety of wind chimes, dream catchers, and incense among other things in its large, curved windows. The cafe, Mystacor, and Plumeria had shared customer traction equally. Bougie tourists, curious students, or familiar locals would pour in and out of each. They started at Plumeria and made their way down, often settling down with a myriad of bags in the cafe.

Bright Moon was the busiest street in Etheria and lined with other shops. From pet stores to boutiques, there were enough to fill an entire day of shopping. The other shopkeepers were older than Cataspella and Perfuma, but they were really kind. Sure, there was a subtle air of conservatism about them, but they meant well. “Old habits are hard to break,” Bow would often say when an older local eyed him around a store. “I heard knees not so much.” Glimmer would add with her classic ferocity. Mermista, another Plumeria florist shared this sentiment.

All things considered Adora had done well familiarizing herself with Etheria. She knew where all the shops were, the best routes on the roads, and she knew pretty much everyone. Or at least, everyone she needed to know. A handful of students stopped by Plumeria on occasion. Etheria was a college town after all. Most of them were in Bow’s classes, but some weren’t. They didn’t buy much but they were always friendly. The other members of the workforce frequented Bright Moon’s stores as well.

Adora was finally feeling confident. She had been in Etheria for two months and she was well settled. Sure, she had nightmares sometimes and felt awkward at work. Still, she was here, and she was doing fine. She was successful in creating a new life for herself. The person she used to be was just a stranger’s shadow now. Or so she thought.

Glimmer parked her car in her usual spot and stepped out, her floral wedges clicking against the floor. _Take a deep breath_ , Glimmer instructed herself. _Everything is going to be fine._ She followed her own instructions, taking a minute to breathe in the springtime air. The Plumeria sign shined down on her, a lovely blend of pink and purple colors in cursive text. Glimmer couldn’t help but smile. The crisp morning air was quiet and peaceful. There was a sweet floral scent in the air. No doubt it was coming from Plumeria’s display of pink tulips and azalea. Glimmer brimmed with confidence, donning her keys and finally heading to the store door. Much to her surprise, the door opened before she could unlock it. Adora stood before her, grinning ear to ear. Glimmer squinted. She felt like she was staring directly into the sun.

“Oh! Glimmer, hi! Good morning!” Adora gleamed.

“Good morning, Adora. Glad to see you’re feeling better today.” Glimmer replied in earnest.

Adora held the door open for her and Glimmer breezed past the blonde. Adora tailed behind her like an excited puppy. Glimmer sighed. It was unusual to see Adora so chipper at eight in the morning. Still, she’d be lying if she said that it wasn’t adorable.

“Did something happen?” Glimmer asked, turning on her heel. She made a mental note to relay any gossip to Bow. Something interesting always happens on his days off. If it were up to her, he’d work full time, but alas a fashion student does have responsibilities.

“No!” Adora replied a little too confidently. She cleared her throat. Glimmer noticed a tiny scar on the blonde’s forehead where an eyebrow piercing used to be.

“I just finally got some sleep and I’m feeling better,” Adora explained calmly. “And I’ve officially been in Etheria for two months and three days.”

Glimmer smiled. She didn’t really understand the significance of the three days but was grateful for Adora’s chipper mood. God knows she’d really appreciate it later when Mermista came in for work and put a damper on things with sarcasm and monotony.

“That’s good.” Glimmer headed towards the back. She still had to put down her purse and don her apron. 

Behind her, Adora had sunken into a crouch in front of an array of red poppies. She was watering them quietly, a focused expression on her face. Glimmer watched out of the corner of her eye. Adora’s gold helix reflected the morning sun. The girl’s blonde hair was styled in a high ponytail and her eyebrows were furrowed. Glimmer’s eyes fell back down to the poppies. She unintentionally pursed her lips.

“Adora.” She called out, only turning half of her body.

“Yes!?” Adora’s head popped up and craned around.

“That’s enough water,” Glimmer said sheepishly. Her eyes unconsciously lingered on Adora’s abandoned eyebrow piercing.

Adora could feel Glimmer staring at the scar.

“And,” Glimmer started again. She turned her back. “If you’re going to check out The Horde today, it’s better to go sooner than later. It’ll be a slow Tuesday, so I’ll man the shop for a bit. Feel free to head out whenever.”

Adora nodded furiously and watched Glimmer disappear into the Employees Only door. She waited for Glimmer to come back out in her apron. Once the girl had reemerged with her watering can in tow, Adora stepped outside. She breezed by Mystacor and took a deep breath. She opened The Horde’s red door and stepped inside.

“Hiya! Oh man I love your outfit! The little black top with those jeans, oh it’s just so cute!” A tall woman standing on a stepladder waved at Adora.

She had a childlike tone and a small hello kitty tattoo on her wrist to match. Adora barely mumbled thanks before the lady had turned her head, revealing a trendy grey undercut. Evidently done with the conversation, the woman went back to hanging up a painting and paid Adora no mind.

Adora moved forward, looking around the parlor. It had a strange nostalgic feeling to it that she couldn’t quite place. The lobby was small with grey walls and a few scattered leather black chairs. There were several drawings strategically displayed and Adora found her eyes lingering on a particularly captivating one of an armor helmet with several Forget-Me-Nots cascading out of it. She recognized the sketch. It was one of hers. She had sketched the design for a client and later made it a print when she ran low on cash. Adora’s face heated up and she felt her cheeks redden. Desperate for a distraction she looked at the other drawings, drifting over to the left corner of the room. Here she found the actual design books and flipped through them aimlessly.

“Let me know if you need anything!”

Adora redirected her attention back to the woman with the undercut. They were back on the floor now, holding the folded step ladder in their hands. The woman was tall with near perfect posture and Adora noticed that her arms were huge. _Maybe she used to be an athlete._ Adora thought aimlessly.

“I’m just looking around, thanks.” She replied.

The woman nodded and headed towards the front desk. It was far more modern looking than the one in Plumeria, having an odd shape and dark grey coloring. Adora patiently waited for the Undercut Woman to pass her but much to her surprise the woman stopped directly in front of her.

“Oh…my gosh.” The Undercut Woman said, looking down at Adora with wide eyes.

It was only then that Adora realized how tall the woman actually was. Adora herself was 5’8 and this employee was practically towering over her. The blonde looked up nervously, unsure of what to do.

“Look at this! Your little apron! You work next door!” The woman gestured wildly at Adora’s apron. Adora nodded. _Right…she was here to meet the neighbors._

“Oh gosh, I am so sorry we never came by. I told Catra too,” The woman rambled. “I said we should go say hi to them. It’s only common courtesy. We should be nice oh man and then we had our opening and we didn’t even invite you all oh man,” The woman was circling Adora frantically now.

“It’s fine. Really. I’m uh,” Adora straightened up and waited for the woman to stop moving. “I’m Adora. It’s nice to meet you.” She stretched her hand out.

“Scorpia,” The woman replied with a firm handshake. Her nails were short and on her right arm she wore a red and gold friendship bracelet. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“You too.”

Scorpia shot the blonde a giddy smile. Their ears were full of piercings; an industrial, double helix, inner conch, outer conch, lobe, and tragus. They wore a form fitting black v neck and Adora noticed a tiny scorpion tail peeking out underneath their shirt sleeve. They had a naturally likeable face with thick eyebrows and down-turned eyes. Their makeup was as bold as the rest of the parlor: thick black eyeliner with sharp double wings outward and deep red lipstick. In any other situation Adora would have been nervous but there was something about being in The Horde that made her feel comfortable.

“So, you work for the Flower Girl, right? Oh man that’s so cool! I love flowers and the little aprons I mean look at this color,” Scorpia was examining Adora’s mint apron with immense interest again. “What is that? Is that teal?”

Adora could tell that Scorpia was easily excitable. She spent five minutes trying to get away from the conversation but soon found herself roped into drinking tea with her new friend. Scorpia presented Adora with a rose iced tea of her own creation and the two lounged in the lobby chairs. Adora answered question after question as best she could. Scorpia wanted to know what being a florist was like, what flowers were in season, and in stock. She wanted to know what kind of flowers to send to a best friend, or a lover, or an enemy. Adora had more difficulty answering these and bashfully admitted to being an amateur.

Finally, Scorpia ran out of things to talk about and it was Adora’s turn to ask questions. She leaned into her chair, blissfully unaware of the amount of time that had passed by.

“So, you do piercings?”

“Oh no! Goodness no. I like them, but I couldn’t give them. I’m no good with needles.”

“Oh. So, you just do tattoos then?”

“Yeah, and oh man,” Scorpia reached for a nearby book. Adora made a mental note that “oh man” was probably their favorite phrase.

“I love doing floral stuff! Isn’t that a coincidence? I mean you’re a florist and who woulda thought!” Scorpia handed Adora the book and watched eagerly as the blonde flipped through.

“These are amazing. You’re really good at these.” Adora couldn’t hide her awe. She flipped through with her mouth shamelessly open and felt a deep respect and soft spot forming for Scorpia.

Abruptly the door swung open and a girl rushed forwards towards them before Adora could even process her entrance. All Adora saw was a flash of purple and blue before a familiar face was before them. Entrapta eagerly leaned over a chair and peered at Adora and Scorpia. Her lengthy purple hair was tussled and messy. She wore a pair of square black glasses which rested a little uncomfortably on her nose. Her septum ring was an iridescent green and STEM themed tattoos lined her arms.

“Hi, Entrapta!” Scorpia chimed.

“Scorpia! Where’s Catra? I need her immediately!”

Adora could feel a headache coming on. She loved Entrapta but her loudness had always been a problem.

“She’s in the back, working on a client…” Scorpia began to explain. Entrapta had already moved onto the next thing.

Entrapta peered curiously at Adora. She tilted her head and moved around the chairs to get closer. The girl was practically breathing down her neck before Adora scooted away. Entrapta was one of my Bow’s friends from school. They were both juniors in undergrad and she swung by Plumeria during his shifts. From what Adora understood, Entrapta was a science student although which science was still yet to be confirmed. Entrapta’s majors seemed to only increase and change indefinitely.

“Adora! What are you doing here? Are you getting a flower tattoo?” Entrapta leaned over, further invading the blonde’s personal space.

“No, no, no. I just came by to introduce myself.”

“Oh! Very interesting!” Entrapta somehow managed to lean even further.

Adora shuffled away as best she could. Scorpia shot her a sympathetic glance and quickly got to work distracting Entrapta with some of the design books. While the two girls were discussing potential tattoos, Adora pulled out her phone. She intended to only check the time but soon found herself scrolling through the Horde’s Instagram page. There were pictures of happy clients and beautiful tattoos which was expected. There were also a few employee photos which featured Scorpia and two other women that Adora didn’t know. _I guess they’re not working today…_

Scorpia and Entrapta had moved their conversation behind her near the front desk. From the sounds of it Entrapta was showing Scorpia another one of her inventions. Adora could hear little robot legs scattering on the floor, subsequently followed by Scorpia’s amused squeals. Adora paid it no mind and kept scrolling further down The Horde’s page. Finally, she reached the very first post: a picture from the shop’s opening party. Scorpia and the other two girls were dressed in all black, holding champagne glasses and smiling wide for the camera. Adora liked the photo but her thumb hovered over the image for a few seconds. The three girls looked like they were in complete harmony and Adora was feeling more nostalgic than ever.

Both Scorpia and Entrapta noticed Adora’s silence and took it for boredom. Scorpia nosily peeked over the blonde’s shoulder.

“Oh! Are you on the Instagram page? Sorry, didn’t mean to be nosy,” Scorpia intercepted right on cue. “The other gals are Lonnie and Catra. Lonnie owns the place and Catra’s super cool! She can be a little hard to get along with, but you should really meet her sometime. I think you two would get along great!”

Adora nodded furiously, a little embarrassed to be caught stalking the page. She rushed to close the app in one final attempt to play it cool. It wasn’t working even a little bit. She was desperately trying to think of something to say but nothing came to mind. Luckily Entrapta’s robot had made its way to the back, creating a loud distraction. The three girls turned their heads in unison to find the robot barreling through a door it had knocked over. Entrapta yelled something about an “Emily” and immediately chased after it. Scorpia yelped and followed suit, leaving Adora alone. _Well that’s as good a sign to leave as any…_

“Well,” Adora cleared her throat. “It was lovely meeting you! See you again soon!” She yelled at Scorpia’s back.

Scorpia had nearly disappeared down the hallway before she turned back and yelled out an apology and something else that Adora didn’t quite get. The blonde waved politely in response and gave one final loud goodbye. She took one final look at the designs on the walls before walking out. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from looking at her design. The armor helmet with the Forget-Me-Nots was one of her best works. It was a little old now, sure. But she did have a lot of fun designing it. Suddenly the sweet nostalgia was met with a newer anguish. She really couldn’t remember the last time she designed something.

“Well…better to leave the past in the past.” Adora found herself saying to no one in particular. Putting her sorrow behind her, she straightened her apron and left The Horde. The blonde was just outside the door when someone called out to her.

“Hey, you’re The Soldier!”

Adora stopped in her tracks. _No way. No way. How could anyone recognize me here? I was so careful. I mean they’d have to be a super-fan to…_

“Hey!” The voice was getting closer.

Adora turned on her heels to face the source. _Just deny it. Deny everything. Come up with a plan. The Soldier’s your sister. No, your twin. No, your alter ego. She doesn’t exist. No, that’s stupid._

“Hey, are you brain-dead? Did you lose your hearing or something? Look at me.”

“Sorry I think you,” Adora stopped mid-sentence.

The girl in front of her was gorgeous. She had mid brown skin and a slender build. Her face was covered in freckles and the left side of her face had an eyebrow slit that looked more accidental than intended. Her hair was tussled and thrown up into a messy high ponytail. She was glaring at Adora, arms folded. Adora had lost all power of speech, noticing the girl’s heterochromia. Yellow and blue. What an odd combo.

Her outfit certainly wasn’t helping Adora focus either. The stranger wore a racerback loose tank top, exposing a black bandeau bra underneath. The top wasn’t exactly cropped but it was short enough to expose a bit of the stranger’s stomach. Their left arm was completely covered in an intricate dragon design while their right featured a murder of crows in flight. They wore a nice pair of black jeans, complete with a dangling golden belt with a cat charm at the end. Adora gulped. She had no idea how long she had been staring.

“Hey. Cat got your tongue?” The stranger moved forward, closing the space between the two of them.

Now that they were closer, Adora noticed a wide array of piercings in their ears. Their lips were curled into a smug smile. Although there was no competition going on, Adora felt like she was losing. Still there was something familiar about the stranger’s smug smile. Suddenly it hit her: Catra. One of The Horde’s employees.

“You’re Catra.” Adora replied finally. She immediately regretted this decision.

Catra blinked at Adora before letting out a chuckle. Her chuckle grew into a laugh. Adora joined in awkwardly before letting herself relax. The two girls laughed together and Adora snuck a glance at Catra’s laughing face through her squinted eyes. The girl’s teeth were way sharper than expected. Their laughter gradually died down and Adora averted her eyes again. She could feel herself blushing. The color of Catra’s cheeks hadn’t changed.

“Wow. You’re nothing like I thought you’d be.” The tattooist blurted out.

“Sorry. I was just really nervous. Most people don’t recognize me.” Adora replied. Of course, this was an overly simplified explanation of her anxiety.

“Yeah, I get that. But, hey. I’m not most people.” Catra countered with a roguish wink.

Adora’s face flushed red. She needed to focus. Catra’s face somehow got even more smug. It was infuriating and adorable.

“Oh…yeah. Yeah, I figured…So, are you a fan or-?”

“Of course. I even know what you look like though you never post pictures.”

“Right. Well, look I’m kind of off the grid right now so I’d appreciate it if you…”

“If I didn’t tell anyone you’re hiding out here in the middle of nowhere? Don’t worry, it’s our little secret.” Catra responded before Adora could even finish. The tattooist’s tone was wry and sultry. Adora decided to ignore this for her own sake.

“You have to promise.”

“Really? Whatever you say.” Catra obliged with a simple shrug.

The tattooist was trying to play it off but Adora could tell she was amused. The brunette offered her pinkie. Adora intertwined their fingers. Catra was warmer than she expected, with calloused and rough hands. Catra’s hand was home to a family of little scars and bruises as well. None of the injuries looked serious but Adora found herself silently worrying.

“I promise to keep your little secret,” Catra started.

Adora nodded along waiting for Catra to shake her pinkie. Much to her surprise Catra yanked her pinkie instead, pulling Adora closer. The two were inches away from each other. Adora stared into Catra’s eyes, a strong waft of cinnamon and fire suddenly hitting her nose. It was pleasant or at least would be under less strange circumstances.

“As long as you tell me everything I wanna know about you.” Catra whispered.

The girl’s soft but demanding voice was enough to make Adora weak in the knees. She held her ground though and nodded along. She muttered “sure”, after all it was a simple enough request.

“Good.” Catra separated herself. Adora’s hand fell back to her side. Part of her was saddened by the sudden lack of contact. Seemingly bored with the interaction, Catra let out a restless sigh.

“Well, I should be heading in now. It’s only a matter of time before Scorpia comes clean to Entrapta about me not really being in.”

Adora nodded, once again aware of her own abandoned job. Glimmer was not going to be happy with her for staying out this long.

“Yeah, I should head back to work too.”

“Cool. See you around, soldier.”

Neither girl moved. They stared at each other, each party searching for something in the other’s expression. In a slow swift movement Catra tilted her head and scanned Adora’s apron. The brunette clicked her tongue before turning on her heel and disappearing into The Horde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't wait to really dive into the story! i just can't help but be overly descriptive! (＃￣ω￣)
> 
> tumblr: https://erraticsapphic.tumblr.com/


	3. Nothin' but Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underneath the sleepy college town seemed to be this flow of unease and tension. It wasn’t a strong surge of bad vibes as much as it was a quiet river underneath the town. And underneath all the concrete buildings you could only ever really hear it with your ear to the ground and both eyes closed. The water was calm and non-threatening, but surely poisonous. Maybe everytime a foreigner steps foot in Etheria the water gets a little louder and a little more pernicious. Maybe without even knowing it she was ruining this place. Adora felt a twinge of sadness she hadn’t felt since she first arrived. She couldn’t afford to ruin another place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> college is hell but here it is: another chapter!

When Adora finally got back home, there was a familiar feeling of uneasiness in her chest. Seeing her old designs was enough to send her spiraling and Catra recognizing her made things even worse.

Catra knew who Adora really was. So, she must know about what happened to The Fright Zone too, right? Thinking about The Fright Zone made Adora even more anxious. She spent all of that Tuesday night after work pacing up and down her apartment, unable to get Catra’s smug smile out of her mind. Her heart was beating faster than ever and in one of many attempts to calm herself down she took a deep breath and replayed the entire interaction in her head again. Catra hardly seemed to pose any kind of threat. She was mischievous and flirtatious, sure. But she was genuine too. Adora stood still as she thought of the promise she made. She thought about Catra pulling her closer, the way the stranger smelt like fire and cinnamon, the way she looked right into Adora’s eyes. Catra’s eyes were earnest. It was the girl’s lips that were the real indication of trouble. The way she had them curled into a tantalizing smile the entire time and let the smile develop into a Cheshire grin. Her hands were screaming trouble too, covered in array of scars, each probably complete with their own amusing anecdote. Then Adora realized she wanted to hear all the stories that Catra’s petty scars had to tell. And she wanted to see more of that grin. And that the pain in her chest vanished and was replaced with something else entirely. Adora ran her fingers through her hair and swore under her breath.

Since her mini crisis last night, Adora had somewhat regained her composure. She took a cold shower. She got up an hour earlier (on account of images of Catra swirling around in her head keeping her awake) and she made herself a hearty breakfast (only stopping to wonder about Catra’s favorite foods once). She got to work early, signed for the most recent shipment of flowers, and hauled twelve boxes of red snapdragons into the store. Things were going wonderfully and soon enough her productivity finally allowed her to rid her mind of Catra. The store was quiet all morning and Adora reveled in the silence. It was rare for her to work alone but Bow gave up his usual shift on account of a class presentation. So instead of filling her shift with mindless chatter and fun banter she tidied things up, rearranged the store, and moved the snapdragons to a sunny spot in the front of the store where they could proudly be displayed.

Adora was in the middle of watering a collection of purple hydrangeas when the door chimed and Mermista strolled in. The final and most elusive employee of Plumeria exclusively worked afternoons. Adora rushed to check her watch which read 12:30. Mermista was right on time as usual.

“Wow, you really fixed this place up.” Mermista said, removing her sunglasses to look around the store.

“Yeah, I just got in early and was raring to go!” Adora replied and immediately regretted sounding so joyful.

Mermista was really cool and had on several occasions complimented the blonde on her own ability to be “appropriately down tempo” …whatever that meant.

“I see that. Well, good job.”

Mermista granted Adora a small smile before disappearing into the back of the store. Adora always had a hard time reading her. Mermista’s voice was usually monotone or varying degrees of annoyed. She wasn’t big on smiling or starting conversation either. Adora was grateful for this since Bow and Glimmer had the tendency to talk for hours. Mermista was a nice change of pace and her drastically different personality made the blonde feel far less isolated. Although she had to admit, Mermista was just as stunning as the other two employees. Her hair was a shiny teal that never seemed to lose its vibrancy and she seemed to exclusively wear a variation of designer tracksuits. In fact, all of her clothing and accessories were designer and expensive. She had naturally thick eyebrows, a vendetta against makeup, and an endless collection of gold hoops and matching bangles. On occasion Glimmer had mentioned Mermista working other jobs, but Adora had no idea what they were. Or if that information was true for that matter. Something about Mermista’ s nonchalance felt weird and, in her presence, Adora often felt they were both running away from somewhere.

Now that she was thinking about it, a lot of people in Etheria seemed to have that energy as well. Underneath the sleepy college town seemed to be this flow of unease and tension. It wasn’t a strong surge of bad vibes as much as it was a quiet river underneath the town. And underneath all the concrete buildings you could only ever really hear it with your ear to the ground and both eyes closed. The water was calm and non-threatening, but surely poisonous. Maybe everytime a foreigner steps foot in Etheria the water gets a little louder and a little more pernicious. Maybe without even knowing it she was ruining this place. Adora felt a twinge of sadness she hadn’t felt since she first arrived. She couldn’t afford to ruin another place.

Mermista emerged from the store back. She looked at Adora for a moment. The blonde was staring into space again. If Mermista were naïve she’d call it homesickness, but she knew better. Adora was an awkward dork and terrible at starting conversations. Still, Mermista calls it as she sees it, and this was no different. Adora had a lot going on under the surface and nobody just shows up in Etheria. Something always pushed people there and whatever pushed Adora was some serious baggage. On several occasions she had considered reaching out to the blonde. The problem was she hated dealing with other people’s emotions and besides what would she even say. Still racking her brain, she slid behind the store desk and placed her face in her hands.

“You really do space out a lot.” Mermista mused.

“Sorry. I just,” Adora abruptly stopped.

She was suddenly face to face with a stranger pressing their face against the store’s glass. Their hair was a blonde mixture of tight curls and coils held back by a red bandana. The stranger’s eyes were wide and moved quickly, scanning the entire store with a euphoric expression. Their breath was leaving a small circle on the window. Just as Adora was about to wave, the stranger separated from the window. They were waving someone else over.

“You just what?” Mermista followed up.

“Oh! Sorry there was a customer outside.” Adora explained.

Mermista raised an eyebrow and repositioned herself to peer past Adora.

The customer in question was with a group of people now. The stranger from the window was the shortest of the group. They wore a graphic t-shirt and a pair of matching orange shorts. The two closest to them shared the same complexion and freckled features. The final person with them seemed to be looking straight at Adora. Their skin was pale, and their expression was indescribable. It was a strange mixture of intrigue and contempt. The group continued to talk among themselves until the pale stranger graciously opened the door.

The blond stranger rushed in, breezing straight past Adora and practically diving into the snapdragons. The other two freckled strangers took their time walking in, making sure to greet Adora.

“Starla! Oh, geez she’s grabbing so many. Sorry, you’ll have to excuse our sister.” A freckled boy with coily hair and a goatee said in one fluid breath.

“It’s all right, really. She looked pretty excited from outside the shop.” Adora forced a giggle in her customer service voice.

“I’ve never seen you before.” A freckled girl with pink waves remarked, slowly making her way around the shop.

“I’ve never seen you either.” Adora forced another chuckle.

This didn’t seem to impress the girl. She clicked her tongue and glared at Adora; arms folded.

“Relax, geez. You’re so dramatic.” Mermista interrupted.

“Oh, Mermista. I haven’t seen you in a bit.” The pink haired stranger immediately relaxed.

“I’ve been around. This is Adora. She’s new here. Two months new, which isn’t really that new anymore if you ask me.”

The stranger examined Adora again before softening her expression. She offered her hand and Adora accepted it.

“I’m Tallstar. The guy over there with the goatee is my brother Jewelstar and the girl attacking your snapdragons is Starla.”

“I’m Adora.”

“So, I’ve been told.”

The two shook hands and Tallstar nodded before turning away to explore the store. Jewelstar was at the desk trying to charm Mermista while Starla stood her ground near the snapdragons. Adora found herself squinting. _Wasn’t there a fourth person?_

“Looking for me?” An impish voice teased. Adora recognized it coming behind her and instinctively turned around defensively. She was face to face with the pale stranger now.

“Hey, now. Don’t be so defensive, blondie. A true actor will always catch you off guard, you know.” The stranger taunted with a gaudy grin. The stranger’s smile was laced with danger and naturally reminded Adora of Catra. _Shit. So much for not thinking about her._

“You just scared me a little is all.” Adora explained, her strained customer service voice working overtime.

“You sure didn’t seem scared.” The stranger brimmed. They were clearly eating up Adora’s reaction. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. As much as she hated to admit it, they did have a charm to them. Their platinum blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that accentuated their heart shaped face and their eyes were a stunning Persian green. Their outfit was charming too and far fancier than that of the three siblings casual wear. They wore a fitted shirt with an elaborate design and dress pants.

“Hey, no worries though. It can be hard knowing how to react.” The stranger went on. Adora struggled to not roll her eyes. She certainly didn’t apologize to this asshole nor did she intend to.

“I’m Double Trouble.” They finally said, dramatically bowing. “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, darling.”

“I’m Adora and don’t call me darling.”

“My apologies. I still get a little nervous around new people. Promise you won’t hold it against me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Double Trouble leaned back and slid their hands into the pockets of their pants. They made a show of twisting their neck around to take in all of Adora’s outfit. Soon their staring developed into circling and before she knew it, Adora felt like she was being sized up for consumption by a snake. Double Trouble’s smile never faltered as they continued their shark like circling although they occasionally let out a small “hm…”.

“Can I help you with something?” Adora asked, turning on her heel to face the troublemaker head on.

Double Trouble perked up, their eyes widening. Their smile spread even wider as they replied with a hearty “No.”.

“Well, I would appreciate it if you stopped circling me. I’m not for sale, you know.”

“Oh,” Double Trouble laughed. “I’m not interested in you at all, blondie. I was just,” they paused and put their hand on their chin. Adora watched irritably as Double Trouble stared into space for a moment before they finally finished their thought.

“I was just trying to complete a character study.” They explained with a grin, a clear invitation for Adora to further inquire.

“Are you a theatre student?” Adora obliged. Part of her silently hoping that the source of the troublemaker’s eccentric attitude could be attributed to a hefty dramatic arts curriculum.

“Yes. But this is more of my own personal work. You see, I’m fascinated with psychology too. I love people and I love meeting new people and finding out how they think, why they do the things that they do…”

Adora nodded along silently as Double Trouble monologued. She did not bother to hide her disinterest, letting her eyes wander around the store to the siblings and Mermista who were now engaged in what was no doubt a far more interesting conversation. She let her eyes fall on the medicinal flowers section of the store, admiring the health of the Aconites and Angel’s Trumpet.

“…What I mean to say is, I’m interested in why someone like you has such a complete meltdown and flees across the country only to settle in such a boring place. At such a boring job, with such boring coworkers, taking on this boring little persona of an innocent florist. Are you just feigning innocence to keep your head down? Or is hiding your claws the way you always get pussy, _soldier_?”

Adora can feel the shock on her face when Double Trouble’s words set in. She turns to face them, surprised to be met with a serious expression. As awful as she was with social cues, she had no trouble reading Double Trouble’s expression. Their furrowed brows and tightly drawn mouth made it obvious. They knew everything about her and The Fright Zone. But, how? And even more so…. _‘Get pussy?’_ What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

Oh. Catra.

That must be why Double Trouble’s grin looked like hers. But that would mean Catra told them. _No, she wouldn’t do that, she promised not to._ Adora thought over and over again, until a more rational side of her took over. _Well, why wouldn’t she? You didn’t really put all of your trust in a complete stranger, did you?_ She did. She actually did put her trust in a complete stranger, and a fan no less. Now she had to deal with this jealous little shit. Double Trouble was glaring at her with folded arms. She met their stare and took a quiet deep breath. Adora didn’t bat an eye.

“I didn’t mean to step on your toes by talking to Catra.”

Double Trouble sucked their teeth. Her decision to avoid commenting on anything else had proven effective. The troublemaker was waiting for her to say something incriminating and her refusal had only made them seem childish. Still, there was no way they were going to give up that easily.

“So, you admit that you’re playing innocent?” Double Trouble shot back, donning their grin again.

“I’m not playing anything.”

Double Trouble was about to retort when a bubbly Starla interrupted them. She was bouncing to the front of the store, her siblings in tow. The blonde slid right in between Adora and Double Trouble, clearly oblivious to the tension.

“Hey! Look I got so many,” Starla flashed her collection of snapdragons at Double Trouble.

“Come on, you can show us outside.” Tallstar said from slightly behind.

Starla nodded fiercely, heading over to the door. Double Trouble followed suit, evidently done with bothering Adora.

“Once again sorry for any trouble.” Tallstar called out to Mermista.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Once the two girls had nodded at each other, the party took their leave. Adora stood still. Half of her was expecting Double Trouble to turn around but they didn’t. Instead, they just exited with Starla, matching her excitement.

Adora gritted her teeth and headed towards Mermista. She was anxious to sit down now that she was really feeling the gravity of her situation. So far two people had discovered her identity and one of them had made the very clear decision to hate her. There was no telling what Perfuma would do if she found out that Adora was fired for violence against her old boss. Or how Bow and Glimmer would treat her if they knew. Even worse, she had made a promise to tell Catra everything about herself and Catra had stabbed her in the back in return. For no reason too. Adora rubbed her temples, lost in her own thoughts. _I mean, what does Catra even gain from that?_

“That Double Trouble kid gave you a migraine, huh?” Mermista mused.

“Pretty much.”

“Yeah, I figured. They’re… a _lot_. Good news is they don’t usually come here though. On account of always being with Catra.”

“Catra?”

“Yeah. Works next door now. Those two are inseparable. She’s okay, I guess. A little annoying but certainly better than Double Trouble.”

“It sounds like you don’t like them very much.”

“I’m neutral. I certainly don’t trust them. I mean those two are nothing but trouble.”

Adora almost asks Mermista to explain but abandons the idea when Mermista brandishes her phone and starts scrolling away. Instead, Adora takes a seat behind the desk and lets her eyes close for a few minutes. She was going to have to confront Catra now. After all, if she told Double Trouble who else did she tell?

“Hey.” Mermista interrupted.

“I wasn’t going to sleep.” Adora responded near immediately.

“Uh…okay. I was just going to show you this.”

Mermista flashed her screen towards Adora. On it was a black and red party flyer with a blurry band photo and neon green text reading: Crimson Waste. Adora squinted and still couldn’t make out any other words on the horribly designed e poster. Even the date was written in such an obnoxious font that none of the numbers were clear.

“What is this?”

“It’s a flyer for a party. We were invited.”

“We? Like the entire shop?”

“No…looks like it’s just us. Do you want to go?”

Adora blinked, unsure of her own response. She had a million questions about what the Crimson Waste was and why she was invited. She was also skeptical of Mermista’s own interest in it as the girl showed no indication of liking the headache inducing flyer. Still, Adora had to admit she hadn’t been out much and she could use a break and a few drinks.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

“Cool. I’ll let Catra know we’re coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adora just can't catch a break. catra's got all these evil exes like ramona flowers. well what can i say? that catgirl gets around.
> 
> tumblr: https://erraticsapphic.tumblr.com/


	4. I must be really lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Not at all.” Catra shook her head. “I know what you mean. It’s so easy to get caught up in fantasies or a fantasy version of yourself where you’re everything you’ve ever wanted to be. Who doesn’t want to be a hero? I think about it all the time too. Though I feel like even in a world with heroes I would’ve still gotten the short end of the stick.”
> 
> “I don’t think so. I think you would’ve been a great hero, Catra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: alcohol use
> 
> there's a lot of swearing in this one. also, i realize i never explicitly said it but everyone in this fic is 18+. most of the cast is in their early-mid 20s. this is the mandatory party club scene but it's not very spicy so don't get too excited

The Crimson Waste was much larger than it looked outside. The once factory now underground club was spacious with ample room for a full bar, various scattered seating areas, a stage, and dance floor. The lighting was more neon than Adora anticipated, and she found herself blinking rapidly to adjust. Lines of red, pink, and orange decorated the otherwise dark club. There was neon lighting on the walls and ceiling as well, flashing in perfect rhythm with the EDM pop song currently blasting. The crowd on the dance floor was a unique mix of strangers. An overwhelming majority of the crowd wore tight, revealing punk clothing: skulls, crop tops, platformers, fishnets, etc. A smaller portion wore more traditional club attire; little black dresses, micro minis, and sparkly bodycon dresses. The remaining portion of the club looked like regulars, they were a unique combination of e-girls and alternative baddies. If she was being honest, Adora had to admit that the dance crowd blended together. The dancers grinded on each other in standard club fashion. Adora felt a little envious as she watched from the bar. She let her gaze linger on two girls dancing, a lanky brunette and even taller woman with waves. The brunette whined on the taller woman effortlessly, guiding her partner’s hands all over her body. The taller woman (who looked absolutely enamored) matched the brunette’s movements and brushed the girl’s hair aside to plant a kiss on the nape of her neck. Adora gulped and looked away, suddenly feeling as if she was trespassing on a private moment.

At present, Adora was sitting alone at the end of the bar nursing a rum and coke. After sending her the address of the club, Mermista had pretty much ghosted her. Adora had wrongly assumed they would arrive together and asked Mermista on multiple occasions what time the party would begin. To these messages, Mermista had simply replied “It’s a club.” Adora proceeded to ask what time she would be arriving, but Mermista failed to give a response. So, Adora did a shot in her apartment and headed out around midnight. She was surprised the club had bouncers and required her name being on a list for entry (it was). But she was even more surprised to see how packed it was. After not finding Mermista or Catra anywhere she settled at the bar and ordered her usual rum and coke. She people watched for a while, as she nursed two or three drinks. Occasionally the anxiety of being there alone would set in and force her to open her phone. It was during one of these anxiety fueled social media binges that Catra had snuck up on her.

“Well, well, well, you actually came.”

Adora spun her chair around quickly to meet Catra’s eyes. The girl’s lips were curled into a smug, feline smile that made Adora’s heart jump. Catra looked even better than the last time Adora saw her too. The tattooist stood with her arm resting comfortably on her hip. She wore a revealing mini crop top that barely stretched across her chest, leaving her maroon bra exposed underneath a gold body chain. Adora could feel her cheeks flushing as she struggled to maintain eye contact.

“Of course.” Adora finally managed to reply. She cursed herself for taking so long.

“I must be really lucky to run into the Soldier twice. Maybe I should start gambling.” Catra teased, taking the seat next to Adora.

“You invited me, didn’t you? Why wouldn’t I show up?”

Catra let her eyes linger on Adora before she actually sat down. If the tattooist were being honest, she would admit to being nervous. After all, she was at a club with one of her greatest inspirations. She fell in love with the Soldier’s work five years ago and had been obsessed ever since. Hell, at one point she was even saving to go out West and get ink at Adora’s resident parlor. If she were really being honest, she would admit actually sitting next to Adora felt too good to be true too. Adora was talented and earnest and not to mention completely fucking gorgeous. The little red dress the blonde had on was driving Catra insane. But she had to keep her composure. 

“Mermista isn’t the best at passing along messages.”

“Ah.”

“Whaddya got there? Rum and coke?” Catra pointed at Adora’s drink.

Adora nodded, and Catra waved over the bartender with a commanding “Kyle!”. The scrawny guy came over right away and Adora watched quietly as the two engaged in friendly banter and small talk. Once the inside jokes and such were out of the way, Catra ordered Adora another drink in addition to “the usual” for herself.

Kyle returned with the girls’ drinks quickly. He flashed Adora a soft smile as he slid the glass in front of her. It was strange but she felt like she recognized him from somewhere. Maybe his quiet kind disposition reminded her of the tiny suburb she grew up in. Or maybe he just had one of those faces. Catra had eagerly grabbed her drink (a plain looking whiskey sour) and began taking hefty sips. She leaned back, resting her hand over her chair.

“So, you and Mermista are friends?” Adora asked. She vaguely remembered Mermista saying Catra was nothing but trouble.

“You could say that,” Catra chuckled. “We’ve got some mutual friends and well, Mermista knows everybody around here. People just flock to her, y’know?”

“She does seem to get along with everyone.” Adora agreed.

“Yeah. I heard that the Princess Alliance wanted her to join them too. But she wasn’t interested.”

“The Princess Alliance?”

Catra blinked at Adora, who blinked back dumbfounded. After a beat, Catra shook her head. She avoided Adora’s curious gaze and let out a nervous laugh. _She’s stalling telling me…_ Adora thought to herself. The blonde twiddled her thumbs and took a few sips of her drink. It was notably stronger than before.

“They’re the band performing tonight. Well, this is kind of their party.” Catra explained.

She was doing her best to sound natural but Adora could tell her voice was strained. Had she been completely sober, Adora would have left her observation alone. Unfortunately for Catra, the florist was just beginning to feel the liquor’s soft warmth resonating in her chest.

“It doesn’t sound like you’re too fond of them.” Adora mused.

Catra clicked her tongue. She met Adora’s gaze again. Any hint of irritability the tattooist felt vanished when she laid eyes on the blonde’s dopey grin. _There’s no way she’s a lightweight, right?_ Catra couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the notorious Soldier not being able to hold their liquor. And that aside… Adora’s flushed cheeks were adorable.

“I’m not. They’re not too fond of me either.” Catra admitted.

“Oh? Then why are you here? Just came to pick a fight?” Adora teased.

“Not at all,” Catra grinned. “They’ve got some decent songs and they got signed recently. I just love a good celebration party.”

“Who doesn’t?” Adora replied near immediately.

“Who doesn’t?” Catra repeated, amused.

The tattooist finished her drink quickly and waved over Kyle. The bartender appeared near instantaneously. He produced another drink for Catra nearly as fast as he came. He offered Adora another drink as well and she nodded. He disappeared behind the bar again, giving the blonde time to finish the rest of her half-drunk rum and coke.

“Wow, you finished that really quickly!” Adora looked to Catra in awe.

“I’m just trying to catch up with you, Soldier.”

“With me?”

“Mhm,” Catra scooted her chair closer to Adora’s. She leaned across the bar until the girls’ noses were inches apart. Adora’s cheeks were red as strawberries. The blonde’s mouth opened in shock and stayed slightly agape as her eyes lingered on Catra’s face. There was the faintest pink underneath the tattooist’s freckles. Catra’s eyes were dilated and her lips… Adora was trying not to look not at them. In actuality the moment of _almost_ contact lasted a mere few seconds but for Adora it felt like an eternity.

“Your cheeks are red. I didn’t take you for a lightweight.” Catra said finally, pulling away.

Adora mourned the loss of contact. Or at least the loss of the _potential_ of contact.

“How long until you get messy and start throwing yourself all over the place?” Catra joked, taking a moment to drink more.

Adora found herself unconsciously watching the way Catra’s lips pressed against the glass. _It’s actually intimidating how fast she drinks…_

“Don’t count on that happening.” Adora laughed. “I’ve had a few already.”

“Oh? So, you’re a professional alcoholic.” Catra teased.

“Just been to my fair share of parties is all.” Adora finished her drink.

The timing was perfect as Kyle had reappeared with another drink in hand for Adora. She thanked him briefly to which he replied with another patient smile.

“What do you think of this one?”

“It’s alright.”

“Just alright?” Catra scoffed.

Adora raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Are you offended?”

“Not at all!” Catra retorted.

“It sounds like you are. I think you want me to think this is the best party ever.”

Catra rolled her eyes. A sea of red was suffusing her cheeks. Abruptly she stood up. Her feet staggered a little bit, forcing her to take a minute to steady herself.

“You said you were playing catch up. How many drinks have you actually had?”

“I’ve had enough.” Catra snapped.

Adora simply nursed her drink with raised eyebrows.

“Five or Six. You?”

“I had a shot before I got here. Then about two drinks before you showed up…then those two.” Adora replied with complete candor.

“Shit, you’ve had a lot.”

“So, have you.”

“You pre-gamed too, huh? Well you’re a shot behind me.” Catra winked.

The tattooist waved Kyle over again and demanded two shots of absinthe. Adora nearly choked on her drink when she heard. Catra shot her a mischievous look and the blonde bit her tongue. Kyle obliged producing two shot glasses and pouring the clear liquid in front of the girls.

“Count of three, yeah?” Catra said.

“You’re trying to kill me.”

“You’ll be fine. We’ll dance it off!”

Adora’s heart jumped at the mention of dancing but she did not have any time to dwell on it. Catra had begun her countdown. She drawled out the number one and rushed through two and three. The girls slammed their shot glasses down in unison. Next thing Adora knew she was being pulled to the dancefloor. The floor was crowded but Catra had no trouble navigating it. Everyone seemed to know her. _And she thinks Mermista knows everybody…_

Catra was feeling her liquor now more than ever. Still she tried her best to ignore her spinning head and focus on finding the perfect spot. The universe seemed to reward her efforts by giving her exactly what she was looking for. Right in the center of the floor was just enough free space for two bodies. Catra wasted no time with Adora. She spun the blonde around, letting her gracefully land in their new dancing place. Adora was light on her feet and surprisingly graceful. Catra had counted on her being a little clumsy to provide potential for a classic dance dip, but she performed the move regardless.

Adora’s eyes were wide. Albeit the spin was an unexpected surprise, she did not expect Catra to dip her. The tattooist hovered over her; a content smile plastered across her face. Adora returned the expression, pulling herself back up. She felt the bass of the song coursing through her chest. It was a familiar feeling that she didn’t realize she missed. Before she knew it, she was dancing her inhibitions away.

The blonde swayed her hips in perfect rhythm with the music, adjusting to song changes with ease. Catra was usually confident with her dancing but she found herself feeling self-conscious. Aside from that, Adora’s tempting looks were making her nervous too. The blonde’s dress rode up ever so slightly with each movement and Catra swallowed every single time. The pink lighting graced Adora as if it were made for her. Adora’s half lidded eyes and glossy bare face was a look that put Aphrodite to shame. Catra didn’t even realize the two weren’t really dancing together until Adora pulled her in closer. All this time they had looked like strangers sharing a spot but now…

Adora’s hands found Catra’s waist with ease. She squeezed gently and adjusted her position; a polite invitation for Catra to turn around. The tattooist obliged and spun on her heel quickly. Adora’s hands lingered on Catra’s waist and she found herself unconsciously reaching forward further, softly digging into Catra’s skin.

“Sorry,” Adora apologized into Catra’s ear. “Was that too forward?”

Catra looked back ever so slightly. Both girls were flushed.

“Not at all.” Catra started to dance, letting Adora’s hands guide her. 

The blonde had a consistently slow pace. She moved to the beat of the song rather than the lyrics. Catra noticed immediately and decided it was an amazing quality. The two grinded on each other under the flashing lights for several songs. When it changed to one Catra particularly liked she would yell “I love this song!” and speed up, separating herself from Adora. The florist hated the lack of contact but quickly grew fond of these breaks when she saw what a good dancer Catra was. The girl seemed to have an affinity for everything from voguing to well, whatever everyone else in the club was doing. Catra’s freestyles were practically their own convoluted choreography. She looked like a star under the red lights too. The neon lighting seemed to bounce off of her, as if it could only kiss her for a second. Adora understood it on some level. On more level than one if she was being honest.

The girls exhausted themselves after several more songs. Catra offered Adora some water and led her off the floor. The tattooist moved quickly, being careful to not make eye contact with anyone.

“Hey, we’re going past the bar!” Adora whined, in classic loud drunk girl fashion.

“Shhh.”

Catra led Adora behind the bar to a plain staircase with a velvet rope. The tattooist ducked under it and motioned for Adora to do the same. The blonde hesitated for a minute before following Catra up the staircase. After about two or three flights Catra breezed down an empty hallway filled with red doors. Each one had VIP written on it in bold golden letters. Adora followed in silence until Catra abruptly stopped in her tracks. The tattooist opened one of the doors (picking the lock with a hairpin). She shot Adora a grin and sashayed inside.

The room was nice. It was far nicer than Adora was expecting. Unlike the rest of the club, the room had an upper class feel to it. Fully furnished with a fancy couch, cushions, table, lights, and a classy looking mini fridge, it had a different vibe entirely. Catra navigated the room like she owned it, cracking open the fridge and tossing Adora a water bottle. The florist caught it and unscrewed the top. She downed the water greedily while Catra grabbed a bottle for herself and collapsed onto the couch.

“Are you a VIP?” Adora asked.

Catra watched the blonde. She sat down on the couch politely, crossing her legs at the thigh.

“Well, you could say that.”

“Could I?”

“You could. Why the sassy tone?”

“Because it sure seems like we snuck up here.”

“Is that why you look so nervous?”

“I don’t look nervous!”

Catra laughed as Adora tried to shift herself to look more comfortable.

“You can relax, Soldier. We’re not gonna get in any trouble.”

Adora shot Catra a doubtful look.

“I’m serious. I _used_ to be a VIP.”

“Used to?”

“Mhm,” Catra finished her water and threw the bottle into a nearby trash bin.

“Well, what happened?”

“You first.”

“What do you mean?”

“You promised to tell me everything I wanna know about you. Remember?”

“Right.”

Adora gulped. She stared at the white gold light on the ceiling. The lighting in the room was so drastically different from the neons outside that it felt dreamlike. The music from downstairs was loud but muffled. Adora couldn’t feel the bass or recognize the song. It sounded a little slower than the songs she and Catra had danced to. Or maybe it was just her nerves slowing things down.

“What,” The blonde cleared her throat. “What do you want to know?”

“How’d you get into tattooing?”

Catra knew it was a boring question. Still, she figured taking things slow was the best way to go about this. Just jumping into what happened with the Fright Zone would intimidate anyone…Especially Adora who had moved miles away just to get away from it.

“I loved drawing. Well, sketching really. It doesn’t matter which word I use, does it?” Adora chuckled. “I was always doing it as a kid. I would hoard pencils and fill notebooks, notepads, planners, any paper I could get my hands on, with sketches. After awhile people started telling me I had a knack for it. For a little while I wanted to study it too. Art, I mean.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“My parents thought it’d be a waste of money. I was a high school athlete and my parents were counting on that to get me some college scholarships. And well, they weren’t too keen on the idea of me wasting good scholarship money to study art. They wanted me to make something of myself and artists…I mean kids in the humanities; they didn’t think those fragile types made it anywhere.”

Adora let herself dwell on the sentence for a minute. The thought of her parents being right really hurt now that she was sitting with it. Now that she was saying it out loud, she had to cope with the fact that she did waste her talent and her life and now she was working a job in a useless field she didn’t care about.

“So, what did you study?”

“Huh?”

“What’s your major in?”

“Oh. I don’t have one. I mean, it was supposed to be pre-med, but college didn’t work out for me anyway. I wasn’t a good enough athlete to get half as much money as I needed. So, I had to look to other things. I joined the military. They were always around my high school just recruiting. Or trying to recruit.” Adora let out a dry laugh. “Isn’t that weird? Why are people handing out flyers to high school students like that? _Hey, you wanna die for your country? You wanna die, huh? You wanna kill?_ ”

She lowered her voice to mock that of a nationalist pro military man. A sad chuckle followed. Catra didn’t crack a smile.

“Well, they were offering a lot. I mean a full ride pretty much. I got through training pretty easily. Bought all my textbooks, struggled through classes, all the boring college stuff. That part wasn’t so bad, actually. But soon I found out that taking all that money meant I had responsibilities…” Adora trailed off. She ran her thumb over her index finger slowly. “I went to meetings and orientations and… it’s so violent. It was so violent I mean. And I know it’s war, right? I signed up for war _willingly_ for the tiniest chance to make my parents proud of me. That’s… That’s on me, right? But,” Adora blinked the tears out of her eyes.

Catra’s eyes widened. She reached out for Adora’s shoulder. The blonde shifted away. Catra didn’t know where to go from there. She just let her hand linger, still outstretched towards Adora’s turned back.

“Hey. You don’t have to share the rest it’s fine.”

“I couldn’t do it. I gave everything back I couldn’t handle the way they did things. The things they said, the things they were _okay_ with. The things they wanted me to be okay with… I was just a kid, Catra. I was barely 18 and they put guns in my hand and told me to just shoot anyone who looked different. Who sounded different, who…”

Adora was sniffling. She wasn’t crying, but Catra was none the wiser. The tattooist was scrambling to find some kind of tissue in the room. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ _There’s nothing in here. How is there nothing here? It’s a VIP room, it’s supposed to have everything!_ Catra’s thoughts were only getting more frantic. Finally, she remembered leaving a jacket in the room. She lifted the cushions from the chair across from Adora and brandished her leather jacket. She dusted it off and shook it out. It was a little wrinkled but still functional.

“Here.” She said, pushing the jacket into Adora’s face.

“Huh?”

Adora blinked. Catra was looking away from her, holding out the jacket. Her face was redder than Adora had ever seen it and she didn’t turn her head.

“For your nose and stuff. There’s no tissue.”

“You want me to blow my nose on your jacket?”

“I mean,” Catra looked at Adora briefly. She looked at the blonde just long enough to notice the girl had only just begun crying. She looked away again even more embarrassed than before. “It sounded like you were getting kind of stuffy and teary. I don’t want you just sitting here with teary eyes and a runny nose.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Adora accepted the jacket humbly.

“Don’t.” Catra winced. “Don’t apologize and don’t feel like you have to apologize. I asked.”

Adora pressed the jacket to her chest and let her face fall into it. She took a few deep breaths. The jacket had the faintest scent of cinnamon mixed with ash. She tightened her grip, feeling a lighter in the left pocket. She was embarrassing herself. _Sit up. Sit up. Sit up._ She told herself over and over. She obliged. Her eyes weren’t fully dry, but she knew that if it were up to her, she’d hide her face in the jacket all night.

Catra could feel herself staring but she couldn’t help it. Adora’s hair was a little frazzled from kneading the jacket. Her blue eyes were cascaded with shades of tired red, a few dried tears stuck to her cheeks.

“Do you want to know what happened next?”

Catra was shocked at the question but more so Adora’s speedy recovery. Before Catra could even answer, Adora began.

“While I was still completing my training and everything, I met this guy named Hordak. He was sort of one of my superiors. He got through the program with straight A’s and everyone loved him. I mean he was pretty much the poster child for signing your life away, going to war, and turning out fine. He had really high hopes for me. I should’ve mentioned this sooner, sorry.” Adora paused. She had already forgotten Catra telling her not to apologize. She considered apologizing again but decided against it.

“He always called me The Soldier cause he thought I was a model soldier. Not just any soldier, _the soldier._ He couldn’t have been more wrong,” Adora shook her head fondly. “He liked my drawings a lot. He was one of the few people in the program that encouraged it actually. Anyway, when I dropped out, he asked me what my plans were. I had no fucking idea what I wanted to do so I just said I was going to get a job. He said he was working at this tattoo place and could take me under his wing. The rest is history.”

“Did he give you your sword tattoo?”

“You know about that?”

“You’ve only got one tattoo and it’s of a knight’s sword. Goes straight down your back. You said so in an interview.”

“With that tattoo blogger? I didn’t think anybody read that interview.”

“I did.” Catra blushed as soon as the words left her lips.

"Well, he did. See, Hordak had this idea that a good tattooist should be covered in tattoos, so they know how each one feels. I had never really thought about getting any tattoos before though. There weren’t any designs I liked enough to put on my body except for one. During orientation for our military program Hordak gave us this assignment to draw a weapon that represents ourselves. He said, ‘How do you defend yourself against the world?’ or something like that. Lots of kids drew bombs and grenades and all kinds of things but I went with a sword.”

“That’s a weird assignment. It’s like making you guys think of yourselves as weapons.” Catra interrupted.

“Yeah. _Yeah,_ I guess it is. Well my design was a simple golden sword and Hordak loved it. He took it home and added a few details, made it look more royal. Then he gave it back to me and I was obsessed with it for a little while. I thought about how cool it would be to fight with it. How cool it’d be to be this royal person defending the little guy and fighting evil and well, it’s stupid when I say it out loud.”

“Not at all.” Catra shook her head. “I know what you mean. It’s so easy to get caught up in fantasies or a fantasy version of yourself where you’re everything you’ve ever wanted to be. Who doesn’t want to be a hero? I think about it all the time too. Though I feel like even in a world with heroes I would’ve still gotten the short end of the stick.”  
  


“I don’t think so. I think you would’ve been a great hero, Catra.”

Adora’s words created a moment of silence where the two girls just sat. The blonde wiped her face, grabbed another water bottle and drank slowly, running her fingers through her hair. Catra was unsure how to take Adora’s line. She could call it a compliment and maybe she should. The real problem was she just had trouble believing it. Not believing that Adora was honest but believing that in another world Catra wouldn’t cause trouble for everyone. _Some people are just built like that. Just built for trouble._ She thought to herself.

Overwhelmed by the silence, both girls started to speak.

“So…”

“Do you...”

“Oh.” They said in unison again.

They stared at each other pointing back and forth. Each trying to force the other to go first. It proved to be an ineffective method of communication and the girls erupted in laughter. Their laughs naturally complimented each other, each one clinging to their sides and tossing their heads back. It gave Adora the strangest feeling of déjà vu. 

When their laughter subsided, Adora took the opportunity to speak again. “I was going to ask if you want to see my tattoo.”

“You don’t mind showing it to me?” Catra blinked.

“Not at all. I mean, it’s not a secret Catra.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Why do you wanna show me?”

“Because you’re interested in it aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I’m interested in you.”

Adora raised an eyebrow, unable to hide the smug look on her face. Catra blushed, immediately rolling her eyes.

“Stop trying to make me say things you wanna hear. Just show me the tattoo.” She said defensively.

“You said that all on your own. Nothing I didn’t know anyway.” Adora chuckled. “Give me a second.”

The blonde fiddled with the zipper on the back of her dress. It took her a few moments to grasp it but as soon as Catra offered her help, Adora caught hold of it. The blonde unzipped her dress partially, leaving the zipper near the small of her back. She slid the dress straps to her shoulders and covered her chest to hold the dress upright.

“Well,” she faced the door. “Here it is.”

The tattoo was perfect. Catra actually hated how perfect it was. The golden hilt encompassed the small of Adora’s back. The hilt’s middle housed a turquoise opal fit for sale in a jewelry store and from there the sword only got grander. The blade was a strange combination of pastels: blue, purple, and pink. The colors made it superior to any ink that Catra had seen. They were soft and subtle but so unmistakably vibrant. Adora’s skin was practically imperceptible underneath the artwork. Not to mention the outline of the sword itself was without flaw. The tip of the blade ended just short of Adora’s neck and it was sharp enough to kill. The detail was dangerously good and the more Catra stared the more she noticed.

“Wait,” Catra inched closer to Adora, squinting. There were foreigner markings that lined the sword too.

“Is something wrong?” Adora asked, failing to hide the panic in her voice.

Now that she was closer, Catra could hear Adora’s breathing. The blonde took shallow breaths and Catra observed the sword’s subtle movements. The tattooist reached out her hand to steady the blonde but quickly decided against touching her. _It’s best not to cross any lines._ Catra thought to herself. Still, she couldn't deny the fact that she'd be dying to touch Adora since they danced together earlier.

“Are these words in a different language or something?” Catra asked.

“Oh, those.” Adora sighed with relief. “Yeah, they are. I’m not sure what language though. Hordak never told me exactly where he’s from.”

“What?” Catra gagged. “You… No, what does it say? You know what it says in English right?”

“Well,” Adora started.

Before the blonde could finish Catra suddenly shushed her. “Do you hear that?” Catra asked in a low voice.

“No?”  
  


Catra stared straight at the door until the sound of footsteps approaching become clearer. She jumped to her feet, muttering obscenities to herself. One of three things were currently happening. A. The bouncers were doing their rounds because the band’s set is over or B. The band themselves were coming up to their VIP rooms or C. A bunch of groupies (and possibly the band) were coming up to the VIP rooms. All of these options were fucking terrible.

“Someone’s coming. We should go.” Catra paced around the room. She was trying to look for a way out but admittedly the liquor was making it difficult for her to think straight. Her eyes fall on an unopened window and she rushes toward it.

“What, why?” Adora asked as she zipped her dress back up. “You said we wouldn’t get in trouble, right?” The blonde slid into Catra’s jacket and leaned back into the couch.  
  


“I lied.” Catra admitted, struggling to open the VIP room window. The old-style window obviously hadn’t been opened in months.

“Catra! Why would you lie to me?” Adora sprung up from the couch. She looked apprehensively from the door to Catra.

The footsteps got increasingly closer and were soon accompanied by voices. It was a group of people and it sounded like they were having a great time. The voices were loud and enthusiastic, speaking without a care in the world. _Well, they don’t sound too bad._ Adora thought to herself.

“Ugh. _Groupies_. They’re the worst, you gotta help me with this.” Catra beckoned Adora over.

“You still didn’t tell me why you lied.” Adora said. She took her time moving to help Catra with the window.

“I only partially lied, really. I was a VIP up until a few weeks ago,” Catra sighed. “When I had a nasty breakup with the lead singer.”

“So, you didn’t want me to know that you invited me to your ex’s concert?” Adora summarized. “Wow, Catra. Didn’t know you were such a heartbreaker.” The blonde was trying to sound serious, but couldn't help herself from laughing. 

“Hey don’t laugh! Come help me with this lock!”

Adora obliged. The girls fiddled with the locks. They pushed and pulled the window until their hands were covered in dust. Meanwhile the voices in the hallway only got louder. Finally, Catra managed to prop the window up. She kicked out the screen and peered below.

“It’s not too far down. You can hide out in here if you really want to though.”

“What? Don’t treat me like I’m soft! I have military training, Catra!”

“Okay, okay. Lower your voice, someone will hear you!”

Catra propped her foot up on the window and disappeared in one fluid motion. Adora waited to see how Catra would land. She peered down from the window just as she heard a small plop and the rustling of bushes. Catra had landed directly on a shrub and was now brushing flower petals off of herself.

“It’s locked. You have the key right?” Adora heard a voice say.

She didn’t wait around to hear anymore of the conversation. The blonde took a deep breath and eased herself out of the window. It wasn’t a long fall, but she braced for impact anyway. Within a matter of seconds, she landed on the same itchy shrub as Catra. The leaves irritated her skin and the flowers detached easily, scattering everywhere. The red petals created a messy crime scene. Once Adora crawled out of the shrub and looked back at it, she could very clearly see two dents where she and Catra had landed.

She brushed the petals off of her dress and jacket, wracking her brain for the name of the little red flowers that had just shielded her body. _They’re a shrub…still blooming during this season._ Abruptly another thought entirely hit her. _Where did Catra go?_

The two had landed at the building’s side and not too far from the entrance. There were plenty of people leaving and entering the club. Adora was beginning to think it was a miracle nobody saw her and Catra descend from a 3rd story window. The blonde wandered around aimlessly for awhile before deciding to wait near the entrance of the club. She was brandishing her phone just when Mermista walked out of the club. Adora waved and called out to her. _She has to have Catra’s number._

Mermista waved back. She walked over to Adora, accompanied by another girl with silver curls. The stranger scanned Adora up and down. They clicked their tongue, not bothering to hide their disgust. Adora ignored this.

“Hey, I’m surprised you're still here. What’d you think of the set?” Mermista said.

“The set?” Adora repeated.

“Yeah, my show.” The silver haired stranger chimed in.

“Oh!” Adora laughed nervously. “It was amazing, really. I mean no wonder you guys got signed your set was amazing.”

“Liar.” The stranger spat out.

“Woah, hey. Netossa, chill. She’s complimenting you.”

“Don’t defend her, Mermista. She didn’t hear any of the set. I would’ve seen her in the audience. I would’ve recognized Catra’s stupid leather jacket a mile away.”

Netossa was in Adora’s face now, directing every single aggression towards the blonde. Adora stood her ground. She was a little irritated at Netossa for picking a fight, but she was more restless than anything. She didn’t anticipate getting Catra’s number would be this difficult. Even worse, she was feeling her liquor again. Without any antics to distract her, she found herself focusing on the small feeling of weightlessness and warmth in her chest. Surely, it had been there all night but now it was really making itself known. This also meant that her conversational filter had all but vanished.

“Oh. You must be her ex.” Adora deadpanned. She didn't mean to sound as disinterest as she did, but at this point couldn't help it. "Say, have you seen her anywhere?"

Netossa’s eye twitched. “ Have I seen her anywhere?" She repeated, her tone even more combative. "No, I haven't seen her anywhere and even if I did I wouldn't tell you, you stupid smug," Netossa trailed off. Mermista had grabbed the girl's arm and was pulling her back

“I’m sorry you two had a bad breakup but you don’t have any right to take it out on me.” Adora blurted. "I didn't even know who you were until a few minutes ago."

"You didn't know who I was?! It's my show!"

Adora shrugged.

Netossa sighed and folded her arms. "I knew she was going to show up. God, who keeps putting her name on the list. And she has some nerve bringing a date here after what she did to me and Spinerella."

Netossa was mostly talking to herself now. Mermista tried in vain to pull the girl in a different direction but Netossa didn't budge. After she was done muttering to herself, she redirected her attention to Adora.

“You seem… nice enough so here’s some advice. Don’t trust Catra. She’s a self-destructive liar, a cheater, and a manipulative bitch."

Had Adora been sober she would have asked what exactly Catra did that was so bad. But, she was not sober and that was the last thing on her mind. Her woozy brain was pushing her to get defensive and well, who was she to deny her brain what it wanted?

Adora rolled her eyes. “Because she screwed you over? That sucks for you but I’m different.” She laughed at her own response, chuckling with her hands on her knees.

Neither Netossa nor Mermista laughed with Adora (Although Mermista's eyes did go wide). Netossa opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it when Mermista told her not to bother. 

“She's drunk. I’m going to call her an Uber.” Mermista sighed.

“Catra should be calling her an Uber. But, of course right when you need her, she's nowhere to be found." Netossa remarked bitterly.

"I'm sorry." was the only response Mermista could offer. Netossa shrugged and disappeared back into the Crimson Waste.

Mermista kept her word and ordered an Uber for Adora. She hung around the blonde, waiting for the car to show up. They leaned on the gate outside the club, near the street. Adora was quiet for the most part. She was trying to identify the shrub again. _It definitely wasn’t honeysuckle or hibiscus…_ Mermista pulled a juul out of her jeans pocket. She took a hit, breathing the minty smoke in and out slowly. 

"You're not gonna ask what happened between Netossa and Catra?" Mermista broke the silence.

"Would you tell me if I asked?" Adora replied, ideas about the shrub still in the back of her mind.

"No, it's none of my business. Besides, every story has two sides and all that. But, aren't you curious?"

"I am. I don't know why I didn't ask. I guess I'd just rather find out from Catra."

"You do seem to like her." Mermista said, pointing to the jacket.

"Are you going to warn me about her too?"

"No. I'm just going to make sure you get home safe."

The girls watched Adora’s Uber arrive, a grey Subaru with its brights beaming. Mermista tilted her head for Adora to get in. The blonde opened the car door, turning back to thank her coworker.

“Thanks, rea- “

“You’re going to feel all that booze in the morning.” Mermista said.

“Yeah. I probably will, but I feel fine for now.” Adora smiled bashfully.

Mermista let out a small chuckle. “Oh, and Adora. I understand wanting to avoid rumors and drama, but there's a lot of history in this town. You should learn some of it. A lot's happened between us. All of us who have been here for a long time...Most of us aren't itching to talk about it but you should learn what you're getting into."

"Getting into with Catra?"

"Getting into with everyone here. This place's sadness will consume you if you let it. We're all fighting it and you well, you're gonna have to fight it too."

Adora nodded, not knowing how else to respond. She got in the car and let Mermista close the door behind her. After that the girl watched Adora’s car drive off. Adora looked out the car’s rear window until Mermista was out of sight. Then she faced forward, and it hit her like a ton of bricks,

“Azalea! It was an azalea!”

Just as soon as she emphatically placed a name to the shrub, her stomach turned. She rushed to roll down the window and poke her head out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catra has a good reason for disappearing i swear 
> 
> tumblr: https://erraticsapphic.tumblr.com/


	5. Townie (Catra's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two keep their hands interlocked as Double Trouble leads Catra to the sink. They didn’t mean to keep holding on and neither did she truthfully. There was just something comforting about the familiarity of Double Trouble’s slender hand in her calloused one. Catra watched as Double Trouble worked their way around the bathroom like it was a dressing room. They turned on the sink, tested the water and then hit the handle a few times, before testing it again. When they were satisfied with the temperature, they grabbed what was left of the paper towels. All the while, they managed to keep softly tracing the space between Catra’s thumb and wrist. Their hands were cold and honestly, kind of reptilian. Still, it was comforting for a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! sorry for the very very very very late update! this semester kicked my ass hahahahahaha im in pain still  
> anyway! this chapter is from catra's pov and it takes place right after she and adora jump out of the window! so we see what happened when she disappeared!

_Ow._

_Why shrubs? Why the hell were there flowers of all things right below that window?_ Catra sucked in her breath, resisting the urge to claw off her itchy skin. She would have preferred landing on the hard ground over a bunch of frilly flowers like some delicate princess. _Speaking of princess…._ Catra looked above, squinting at Adora. Suddenly, her arms felt like they were on fire. Catra winced, only able to think the word _ow_ over and over again. She took a deep breath and did her best to resist the overwhelming urge to scratch. She turned a corner towards the back of the club and lingered under a lamp. Once she examined her arms and found them covered in itchy, red scars, she ran through the back door as quickly as she could. There was no way she could face Adora like this. Not to mention the itching was only getting worse. Back inside, The Princess Alliance was performing one of their angsty songs. The crowd was going crazy, screaming, and cheering the lyrics. Catra breezed past the wallflowers not even bothering to mutter excuse me as she pushed her way into the bathroom.

The club bathroom was a fucking mess. Its mirror was cracked and only one of the three door stalls actually closed. Not to mention it was usually just full of teens smoking. Catra didn’t have anything against smoking, god knows. But she did hate having to run into a bunch of talkative, snooty teenagers every time she wanted to piss around here. And right now, she’d rather die than have a bunch of toddlers asking what happened to her arms. Luckily, tonight the bathroom was actually empty. The brunette rushed to the only working sink and piled up as much soap in her hand as the cartridge would allow. She lathered her arms in soap, shuddering at the feeling of antibacterial soap in her rashes.

“Oh, fuck me.” She sighed.

The painful, burning sensation forced her to slow down. She took her time rinsing her arms carefully before going under the hand dryer to dry them off. The warm air made her skin feel better and by time her arms were dry again, they felt almost normal. Well, at least the pain was bearable. Catra headed back over to the mirror. She shook a few petals out of her hair, letting them fall to the floor. She smoothed her hair down and took a look at her complexion. Her freckles were in their regular spots, not that she expected them to leave. She was blushing a little bit too. _Probably from the booze._ She thought stubbornly to herself. Her body chain was a little crooked from the fall though. She sighed, moving to readjust it. Just as soon as she had started, the bathroom door swung open. Catra sighed prematurely, fully expecting to encounter teenagers. Unfortunately, it was even worse.

“I think that performance was their best one yet.”

_Groupies._

Catra tried to tune out the background conversation between the fans behind her. They were just praising the set, band members, and doing as much dick riding as possible. _They’re not even that good._ Catra thought to herself bitterly. She rolled her eyes, having finally finished fixing her outfit. She washed her hands again for good measure and headed towards the door. A groupie with navy bangs and a crown tattoo blocked her path.

“Oh my god, aren’t you Catra?”

“Yeah.” Catra replied quickly, trying to push past the girl.

The groupie stood her ground while the others closed in on the brunette. Three of them were surrounding her now. _What a fucking pain._

“Woah, hey, hey, hey. Where are you going so fast?” The leader went on.

“What do you want?” Catra didn’t bother hiding her annoyed tone.

“Woah, the rumors are right. She really is a bitch.” One of the other groupies sneered.

“What rumors?” Catra feigned ignorance.

“Oh, man.” The leader chuckled. The other groupies followed suit. “You’re kidding right. You’re _The_ Catra. The soul sucking bitch who broke Netossa’s heart. The fucking crazy, batshit, stupid, whore.”

The leader was in Catra’s face now, grinning like a hyena. Catra rolled her eyes. There was absolutely nothing threatening about any of these groupies. Nor did she care about anything they had to say about her. She knew she had a bad reputation and dating Netossa certainly didn’t help. Still, these nerds weren’t going to make her feel shitty about it.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s me. Crazy, batshit, stupid, et cetera. Are we done here?”

“You don’t even feel bad about breaking her heart like that? You know last year she cried on stage performing because of _you_!” Another one of the groupies chimed in.

“And I bet you guys ate it up, didn’t you? You got a song out of my shitty relationship, so really you should be thanking me.”

“ _Thanking_ you?!” The groupie repeated stupidly.

“Yeah.” Catra tried to move past again but the groupies moved in on her.

“You really are a lowlife. You’re lucky she even bothered looking at you after what you did.” The leader sniped, looking down at her.

“Oh? What’d I do?”

“After you tweaked out and tried to kill that girl. After you overdosed. After you continually proved to everyone around you that you’re just a stupid, fucking worthless townie who’s never gonna get outta this place and never gonna make anything of,”

_Townie._ The word echoed, replaying over and over in her head It wasn’t even the worst of the groupie’s attack and yet...it stung the most. It made Catra think of times and people she didn’t want to remember right now. Or ever. She could feel her blood boiling.

“Watch your fucking mouth.” Catra seethed.

“Oh, so you do have feelings. You know how small this town is, right? We all know about you. Everyone here knows that you’re a stupid, junkie, freak, bitch, and guess what,”

_Junkie._ Now this, again. She was tired of that word. She would go months without hearing it and be fine. But, then out of the blue someone would say it and she’d feel like it was all she heard every single day. Just an endless loop of people calling her a junkie and a townie.

Catra swung as hard as she could. Her body betrayed her, feet stumbling forward and arms missing the leader by a hair. Catra’s arms were burning as much as her blood was now. She wanted to scream. The leader brushed back her bangs, playing up her lucky dodge as much as possible. She looked back and forth at the other groupies. _You got lucky. You’re so lucky that I fell in some stupid poison ivy ass shit, that I’m more than a little tipsy, that I’m trying hard not to fight tonight. You’re so fucking lucky._ Catra wanted to scream at her. But something was holding her back. She could only think about her stupid, burning arms.

“God, I’ve wanted to punch you since I first walked in this place.” One of the groupies grinned.

The groupie lunged forward with a messy punch. Catra thought she would be able to dodge with ease, but before she knew it another groupie was behind her. They held the brunette’s arms, leaving the others to get in a few flimsy hits. It didn’t hurt. Not that much, anyway. Catra had been in plenty of fights and she was way stronger than these losers. Still. Her arms were burning again, forcing her to grit her teeth whenever she lost focus on struggling free.

“Wow, you guys should pick up a karate class. Children are tougher than this!” Catra teased with a hearty mix of faux and real confidence. She threw a few erratic kicks forward, landing one right on the leader’s nose.

“My fucking nose,” The leader hissed, dabbing at the blood. They turned to Catra and just as soon as the brunette offered a smile, they threw a hard punch.

The gang was taking things seriously now. Between the booze and irritated arms, Catra was no match for them. The room seemed to spin endlessly as they threw her around. When she grew tired of fighting, she simply closed her eyes. In the worst way, she felt like a kid again.

As if on cue, the door swung open and a seemingly unbothered Double Trouble waltzed inside. The blonde took a second to examine the scene, not once letting the grin on their lips dissipate. They took a minute to readjust their hair: re-tightening their ponytail. They moved as if they had all the time in the world, preparing to intervene as one prepares for a show. As one _laxly_ prepares for a show. They dusted off their leather jacket, fiddled with their bracelets, then their piercings. They spit out a piece of gum into an empty rapper and politely dropped into the trash. Then finally, they spoke.

“Excuse me, you guys are blocking the stall.” They said it plainly without moving. It wasn’t a threat. Just a statement.

Three of the groupies stared at Double Trouble before turning to their leader.

“There’s another bathroom upstairs.” The leader clicked her tongue. She kept her eyes on Catra, watching the brunette as if she were going to pounce any second.

“I know but,” Double Trouble feigned a helpless expression. “The band’s right outside and I wanna get an autograph from Netossa but I really have to pee and I if I go upstairs, I’ll totally miss her.”

Catra would roll her eyes if her head weren’t pounding. As much as she hated to admit it, Double Trouble was a good actor. The groupies couldn’t contain their excitement when they heard the band was outside.

“Really!? Netossa’s out there giving autographs!?” One of them shouted, bouncing with excitement.

“Yeah, she’s taking pictures with fans too! If you leave now, you can probably get a few!”

Two of the groupies smiled wide at each other before once again, looking for their leader’s reaction. To no one’s surprise, the leader decided that autographs and selfies took precedent over fighting Catra. With a wave of her hand, she gestured for her followers to go and they breezed past Double Trouble without so much as a glance back at Catra.

Double Trouble watched the clique leave before turning back to Catra. The girl had fallen to the floor at some point during the altercation. Between her bloody nose and bruised face, she looked like she was having a really rough night. The brunette didn’t bother hiding her face but kept her eyes glued to the stalls rather than Double Trouble. The blonde clicked their tongue and took a few simple strides towards the girl. Closing the space between them had always been so easy.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Kitten,” Double Trouble extended their hand. “You look like shit.”

“Gee, thanks. Really comforting.” Catra grumbled, letting Double Trouble pull her up.

The two keep their hands interlocked as Double Trouble leads Catra to the sink. They didn’t mean to keep holding on and neither did she truthfully. There was just something comforting about the familiarity of Double Trouble’s slender hand in her calloused one. Catra watched as Double Trouble worked their way around the bathroom like it was a dressing room. They turned on the sink, tested the water and then hit the handle a few times, before testing it again. When they were satisfied with the temperature, they grabbed what was left of the paper towels. All the while, they managed to keep softly tracing the space between Catra’s thumb and wrist. Their hands were cold and honestly, kind of reptilian. Still, it was comforting for a few minutes. At least until Double Trouble broke the silence, retracted their hand, and tilted Catra’s head up to start dabbing at her face with wet paper.

“So…” Double Trouble wiped the blood from Catra’s nose. “What the fuck happened here?”

“Can’t you tell? I got jumped.”

Double Trouble pulled away to laugh.

“What? That’s what happened!” Catra folded her hands defensively, glaring at her friend.

Double Trouble shook their head before going back to cleaning up her face.

“You’ll have to forgive me, kitten. I just know for a fact that there’s no way those losers actually stand a chance against you in a real fight.”

“Well, this wasn’t a real fight. It was an ambush.” Catra explained, not offering any more details.

Double Trouble’s hands moved quickly. They scrubbed away at the dried blood and wiped the bruises as if they’ve done it their entire life. Ironically for how speedy it was, it was equally gentle. Catra barely felt the paper contact her skin. Double Trouble kept their hands as steady as possible while they took care of the brunette. They kept the aggravation they were feeling concealed and it wasn’t difficult. They were naturally good at subterfuge. Still… Their green eyes met Catra’s brown ones for a second. Double Trouble hated this role reversal. 

Years ago, when Double Trouble first met Catra, all they did was get bullied. A lot of their ass kicking’s were deserved, Double Trouble had to admit. They were a smug little shit talker who prided themselves on getting under everyone’s skin. There were no consequences for their sharp tongue in their home city, but in Etheria well, people were raised not to take kindly to self-righteous city folk. It took a long time for Double Trouble to assimilate and an even longer time to learn how to actually fight. On the bright side, they did find solace in the form of Catra who saved them from nearly being beaten to death in an ally. She wasn’t good at patching people up, but she did her best everytime she found them in a messy state. Looking at her embarrassed eyes and bruised face, Double Trouble realized just how long it’d been since they’d seen Catra look so vulnerable. Maybe it should have made them feel good and powerful and like a hero, but it just made them feel sick. The last time they saw Catra look miserable was…

Double Trouble shook their head. “You know, kitten, it’s usually you who’s stopping me from getting killed.”

“I wasn’t going to die. Besides, that was ages ago. Can’t believe you even remember.”

“How could I forget you being my knight in shinning armor?” Double Trouble threw a stack of dirty, blood covered tissues away. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, what a star!’”

Catra chuckled and rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah. Are you done playing medic now?”

“Honestly, the cheap ass soap and tissues in here really didn’t do much. You still look awful and not to mention your hands.”

Catra hid her arms instinctively when Double Trouble pointed them out. Double Trouble clicked their tongue.

“Oh, c’mon you weren’t even trying to hide those were you?” The blonde teased.

“Wh,” Catra stammered. “Of course, I was! I came in here in the first place to avoid being seen by,” She stopped mid-sentence.

_Adora_.

Oh god, she totally abandoned Adora. Double Trouble seemed to come to this realization as well, but if they did, they didn’t say anything about it.

“Well, kitten. Looks to me like you came into contact with something a little, teeny bit poisonous.”

“Shit, really?”

“Really.” Double Trouble grinned. “Don’t worry though. Come home with me, I’ve got just the thing.”

Catra lingered for a moment. Her head was pounding, and her arms were burning, but all she could think of was Adora. _I really should get back to her._ She thought to herself over and over, until she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Double Trouble was right. She did look like shit.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Great! Sleepover time!” Double Trouble beamed enthusiastically.

“Whatever,” Catra sighed, rubbing her arms. “Just no musicals.”

“No promises, kitten.” The blonde beamed.

"Hey Double Trouble," Catra paused, trying to find the right words. "Thanks. Really I mean it."

"No need to thank me. What are friends for, right?"

_This apparently._ Catra thought to herself as the two left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't you just hate when flowers irritate the fuck outta ur skin lmao  
> double trouble is a lotta things including a shady bitch but i'll be damned if they're not a good friend
> 
> as usual find me on tumblr: https://erraticsapphic.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr and twitter! 
> 
>   
> twitter: https://twitter.com/erraticsapphic  
> tumblr: https://erraticsapphic.tumblr.com/


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